Reporters’ Notebook

LAS VEGAS MAYOR OSCAR GOODMAN didn't see Andy Rooney's anti-Las Vegas tirade on "60 Minutes" last Sunday, but he read the remarks and responded by calling Rooney a "sourpuss, misanthropic curmudgeon."

"I think it's a joke. Some guy in Detroit is worth more when he's working on a car than a dealer in Las Vegas ... forget about it."

At least Rooney has contributed to the local economy, the mayor said: "The only good thing is ... he has been out here a couple of times, and he's lost."

ALAN CHOATE

CASINO OWNER TERRY CAUDILL and L.A. nightclub entrepreneur Carlos "Big Daddy" Adley were Las Vegas' second choice to redevelop a building at 601 Fremont Street.

The city, however, negotiated a better deal with higher rent than with the first choice, who couldn't make their deal work.

The fact that this deal was sweeter for the city was disclosed at Wednesday's City Council meeting.

When a grinning Mayor Oscar Goodman asked how he felt about it, Caudill said, "I'm feeling like a sucker at the moment."

ALAN CHOATE

JEFF WEILER, THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER of the Clark County School District, anticipates more hard times and budget cutting in the years to come.

But there is one crucial point he wants the School Board to understand: It's not his fault.

"I hope you don't do a correlation for (chief financial officers) in your budget, because when (Superintendent Walt Rulffes) was doing it, things were good and we were adding," Weiler said.

"I come along and now we're taking away."

JAMES HAUG

NO BEHIND LEFT BEHIND?

Of the many tough decisions in approving a $2.1 billion budget for the Clark County School District, school board members said they did not want to further reduce funding for much-needed school supplies.

As School Board Vice President Carolyn Edwards put it: "I want there to be toilet paper."

JAMES HAUG